Courtesy of Openlands
What do bicycle and nature trails have to do with gentrification?
A Tale of Two Trails
What do bicycle and nature trails have to do with gentrification?
Development
Reinvesting In Our Own
Black-owned small businesses continue to face challenges on the South Side
Javier Suarez
Yet this Black neighborhood stands firm.
The More Things Change
Amid new arts development, Pullman seeks to preserve its sense of history
Ellen Hao
On January 11, Tom McMahon stood up to call to order a public meeting at the Pullman National Monument Visitor Center, introducing himself by simultaneously disavowing and affirming the importance of his own place in Pullman’s community: “I’m the president of the Pullman Civic Organization. I’m also a board member of Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives. Tonight, I’m just the moderator, here to ask questions and address concerns raised during the last meeting.”
Corporate Goal #1
What the CHA is doing with its vacant land
Before it was demolished as part of a sweeping redevelopment plan, there were 1,426 households in the public housing project consisting of the Ida B. Wells Homes, Madden Park Homes and Clarence Darrow Homes. People displaced by the demolition, which began in 2002, were told they could return; at one point, more than 1,000 replacement units were planned for the site.
Between Two Chinatowns
Incorporating elements of feng shui, a new Chinatown library seeks to unite new and old
Julie Wu
It’s one of the city’s busiest library branches with over 21,000 visitors each month, and for years residents have complained of overcrowding and outdated technology.
What’s in Store?
What will the new Whole Foods mean for Englewood?
Juliet Eldred
“Because right now it seems like ‘Oh, there’s just so much land, we have to get this into the private market or figure out what to do with it.’ But soon there will be none left, and whatever is left will be super expensive.”
It Takes a City
Why Chicago’s small business initiatives matter
Ellie Mejia
The business-to-business loan market has been likened to that of payday loans; with misleading rates, APRs nearing 100 percent, and hidden fees, these unregulated lenders pose a serious threat to small business owners in Chicago and across the country.
The Norfolk Expansion
How was it decided that Englewood should be partially fed to private industry for its own good?
David Schalliol
Englewood’s residents would be able to breathe deeply, but not on 57th and Normal.
Growth of a Neighborhood
Pullman will soon have the largest rooftop farm in the nation. Will its impact be proportional to its size?
Lexi Drexelius
By this spring, a factory roof in Pullman will be home to a farm that grows up to a million pounds of pesticide-free produce a year. As 9th Ward Alderman Anthony A. Beale says, “That amount of lettuce is unreal!” When it opens up on top of eco-friendly cleaning product company Method’s new manufacturing plant, Gotham Greens’ rooftop farm will be the largest of its kind in the world. Not only will it grow produce year-round, but, along with Method’s plant, the farm will also bring close to 150 new jobs to the community. The plans are an exciting development for an area that has historically had a higher unemployment rate than the city as a whole, but they also highlight a divide between Pullman proper and the surrounding area. Continue reading
Afro-Sino Chamber Seeks to Close a Culture Gap
Rasaan Liddell’s small room holds big plans
Byron Rivers
Rasaan Liddell, executive director of the newly founded Afro-Sino Chamber of Commerce, jokes that if someone were to run their fingers over the Chamber’s articles, their hand would come away smudged with ink. The Chamber’s headquarters on South Wabash Street were only completed last December, and consist of a multipurpose room and a medium-sized table where Liddell’s young son sometimes does his homework after school. Continue reading